Dar es Salaam. Good morning! The Chanzo is here with a rundown of major news stories reported in Tanzania on Wednesday, November 2, 2022.
Samia leaves Tanzania for China
President Samia Suluhu Hassan on Wednesday arrived in China for her three-day state visit to Asia’s economic powerhouse, becoming the first African leader to visit the country after the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC).
The visit is expected to inject new impetus into the comprehensive and profound development of China-Tanzania relations and make new progress in bilateral friendship and cooperation.
Speaking to Chinese state broadcaster CGTN on Wednesday, Tanzanian Ambassador to China Mbelwa Kairuki said the state visit is significant as it will result in greater trade cooperation between the two sides, especially in areas such as infrastructure, food and trade in services.
“It is also a very symbolic visit,” Mr Kairuki commented. “We are used to symbolism when it comes to China-Tanzania relations. If you remember, in 2013 when His Excellency Xi Jinping came to office, the first visit he made to Africa was in Tanzania. So, [Samia’s visit to China] is a continuation of symbols that signify [an] excellent [and] all-weather friendship between the two countries.”
Tanzania and China have enjoyed a very special relationship that dates back from the days of the generation of leadership of the founding fathers of these nations, namely the late Mwalimu Julius K. Nyerere and Abeid A. Karume on the part of Tanzania; Chairman Mao Zedong, Premier Zhou Enlai and later Supreme Leader Deng Xiaoping on the part of China.
Tanzania and China have been seeing their trade and business exchanges growing over the past decades. For example, China has set up some agricultural demonstration centres in Tanzania, investing in many sectors such as cotton and leather.
Most recently, the Chinese Embassy in Tanzania held an online training course on Juncao technology from October 11 to 24, 2024.
Govt to spend Sh84 billion to address water woes in Mtwara
The government is planning to allocate Sh84.7 billion for the implementation of the Makonde Plateau Water Supply Project in the Mtwara region, with the aim of improving drinking water coverage in Mtwara over the next few years.
China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) has been appointed to complete the project.
Benard Bwire, the Makonde Plateau Water Project Manager, announced that the work includes the reinforcement of 6 km of pumping pipes from Mitema to Nanda, the laying of a 300 mm steel pipe in parallel with the existing 300 mm steel pipe.
CCECC will also reinforce the gravity main from Nanda to Mtopwa by laying 2.2 km of 350 mm steel pipe, parallel to the existing 250 mm polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipe, he added.
Mr Bwire said that the drinking water project is also expected to upgrade the Mitema water treatment plant with associated facilities including three tanks for storing drinking water.
“The aim is to strengthen the supply of drinking water in the Mtwara region, particularly in the towns of Newala, Tandahimba and Nanyamba,” he said.
All the facilities will enable the supply of 65,000 m3 of drinking water per day to the population, well above the estimated daily demand of 25,000 m3 in Newala, Tandahimba and Nanyamba.
The additional resource will be able to serve surrounding towns, increasing the rate of access to drinking water in Tanzania, estimated by the authorities at 86 per cent in urban areas and 72.3 per cent in rural areas. Tanzania is aiming for universal coverage by 2030.
Medical diagnostic network launched to improve TB diagnostics in Tanzania
SystemOne, a Johannesburg-based provider of solutions for disease surveillance and response has launched a multi-device version of its digital backbone for medical diagnostics, Aspect, in Tanzania, to help improve TB diagnostics, reduce time to treatment, and eventually track treatment outcomes and efficacy.
According to a statement released on Wednesday, the project will be executed in collaboration with PATH, and funded by The Stop TB Partnership and UNOPS.
In a statement, Chris Macek, CEO of SystemOne, appreciated health authorities at the National Tuberculosis and Leprosy Program (NTLP) in Tanzania for their understanding on how information is critical to assess and managing infectious disease programs.
“Information is at the heart of the diagnostic network, and transmitting information rapidly and purposefully helps patients, clinicians, community health workers and program authorities take the best steps at the right moment to improve the chances of a good outcome,” Macek said in a statement.
Collins Minja, MoH Information, Communication and Technology Officer from the Ministry of Health, said: “Hosting a local Aspect server will keep us more informed and knowledgeable on technical troubleshooting and maintenance of our in-country medical diagnostic devices.”
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